The Curse
by LoriEchelon
Summary: Kendall can't figure out why the brunet in motorcycle gear at his new school seems to hate him so much. James can't figure out how to tell the blond haired boy that they've spent lifetime after lifetime in love only for it always to end in the same violent manner thanks to a curse they'd received centuries before. Kames/AU
1. Bad Omens

Kendall sat on the bank of the lake, leisurely kicking his feet back and forth, back and forth, watching the way he made the muddy water his feet rested in stir with his actions. He cursed his dad for leaving him all those years ago and his mom for dying last week. He wished for the hundredth time that his feet were resting in the crystal blue waters of the Pacific Ocean and he was sitting on the sparkling white sand that decorated the beaches of his home state. But it wasn't so. Instead his feet hung limply, barely visible in the murky, so-called water that was polluted with God only knew what and he sat resting upon the rotted wood of the sloppily built, currently crumbling deck that jutted out hazardously into the river.

In the background he heard his Aunt bellowing that dinner was ready and his cousin responding but Kendall stayed silent and still. The last few nights of sitting down to a meal with a family he'd never met before this week had been awkward enough, taking its toll on Kendall who was already close to breaking down. He wasn't exactly anxious for another night of strained conversation, uneasy silences and obvious avoidance of certain subject matters.

Kendall had decided within five minutes of getting off the plane and arriving in this town that he absolutely hated it and wanted to leave as soon as humanly possible. He wanted to be back in California, with the sun and his friends, surfing without a care in the world. Not restlessly tossing in an uncomfortable bed in a guest room in a house he didn't belong in in some dinky little cabin by the lake in some Podunk town in Pennsylvania. Hell, it was barely September and yet it was already freezing cold, making shorts an unviable option. What the hell was that about?

Kendall heaved an over-exaggerated sigh, scooping up a forgotten stone in the palm of his hand and then skipping it across the water, counting four times before it made it to the bank on the other side. He heard his Aunt holler for him a second time and he ignored her for a second time.

"Stuck in the fuckin' boonies, man," He muttered to himself, pulling his phone from his pocket where it rested heavily against his thigh. He checked it yet again for missed calls or texts, and yet again he found nothing. Same as every other time since he'd arrived in this Hell hole. He didn't know whether it was due to a lack of communication from his friends or a lack of cell reception out here in the middle of nowhere, though. He was betting on the latter, seeing as they didn't even have Wi-Fi or cable out here in this stupid, piece of shit town. It was almost as if his Aunt wanted to cut him off from everything and everyone in his old life.

With another cumbersome sigh Kendall shoved himself into a standing option, his grumbling stomach forcing him to give in and head towards the cabin for yet another uncomfortable meal.

* * *

"You have everything you need, right?" His Aunt asked for what felt like the millionth time.

"Yes," Kendall groaned, shouldering his backpack with a roll of his green eyes.

"Okay. And you remember how to get to the high school, right? Oh! And lunch money! You need lunch money!" She flitted around, grabbing her wallet out of her pursed and rifling through it.

"Aunt Jennifer, I'm seventeen, not seven. I have my own money and I can follow a simple set of directions," Kendall interrupted.

"Yes, yes, you're right. Of course. I'm sorry, Kendall, I'm used to a ten year old girl, not a practically grown boy," She smiled apologetically, putting her wallet away. "And you still don't mind dropping Katie off at school?"

"No," Kendall replied tersely. "And I'll pick her up after her practice and bring us both home."

His Aunt's body posture loosened, her face relaxing into a small smile. "Okay, okay. Hint taken. Good luck today, Kendall. Call me if you need anything," She said sweetly, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him an awkward half hug that Kendall immediately pulled away from.

Kendall nodded mutely as his cousin came stomping down the steps, munching on an apple and yelling goodbye to her mom over her shoulder through a mouthful, running out the door and slamming it behind herself.

"That's my cue," Kendall jerked his head after Katie. "Bye," He added to his Aunt, turning on a heel to leave.

"Good luck!" She trilled out in a forced cheeriness to the already closing door.

* * *

Kendall couldn't help but feel out of place in the small town, knowing for a fact he just didn't fit in and probably never would. And try as he might, he couldn't imagine his mother here, against this dreary backdrop of cold rain, fog and miserableness. As far back as Kendall could remember his mom had been a California Girl, a beach babe, a surfer chick. Barely fifteen when she'd gotten pregnant with him she'd run away to sunny California. Kendall had fond memories of many a nights being lulled into a peaceful sleep on the porch of their beach house, that was really more of shack but was home nonetheless, overlooking the ocean and watching the tide come in as his mom quietly strummed her beat up yet prized guitar and sweetly hummed songs about peace, love and understanding, her messy curls blowing in the sea wind and whipping around her always smiling face. Kendall would do anything for just one more of those nights.

Kendall gave his head a vigorous shake, clearing the poisonous thoughts, knowing it did no good to dwell in memories and dream impossible dreams. Drawing in a deep breath, he allowed his teeth to chew on his bottom lip as he stared up the steps leading to his new school.

Other than the extra layers, the kids wandering around outside looked exactly like the one's he'd attended school with and avoided in California.

He could make out the preps in their pressed khakis and polos with the popped collars, the goths dressed all in black, the jocks in their sports jerseys and the cheerleaders in their ridiculously short skirts. He saw the nerds in glasses holding calculators, the punks with Mohawks, the hipsters who thought they were too cool for everything, especially school, and the guys who thought they were hard-asses in baggy jeans and long t-shirts. Everyone was present and accounted for. And every single one of them ignored the new kid.

Kendall's eyes roamed the masses as he trudged up the concrete steps leading to his new Hell, finally settling on a guy that he would bet his life's savings on drove the Harley Davidson he'd seen parked near his car in the student lot. The other boy was tall, possibly taller than Kendall himself, and he leaned arrogantly against the bricks near the front doors, arms crossed over his chest, scowl etched into his hardened features and eyes hidden behind unnecessary sunglasses, seeing as it was overcast out, like always. He was dressed in a faded black, worn leather jacket, with nothing but a black wife beater underneath, dark skinny jeans that couldn't have been tighter hugging his hips, outfit completed with a pair of beat up motorcycle boots that had seen better days.

Behind the sunglasses, the boy with the unkempt brown hair must have caught Kendall's stare, because he casually raised a hand, lowering the dark frames down the bridge of his nose and staring straight back at Kendall, left eyebrow raising and smirk growing, mockingly, seemingly asking 'Can I help you?'

Kendall averted his eyes quickly, embarrassed to have been caught staring and he shoved his way into the building, waiting until he was safely nestled inside to turn and look behind him. Only then did he risk a cautious glance behind himself, somewhat taken aback to find the handsome brunet still smirking at him, this time through the window, glasses still lowered as he watched Kendall knowingly, separated by nothing more than an easily penetrable glass wall.

* * *

Other than the odd encounter with Motorcycle Dude out front, Kendall's school day passed fairly uneventfully, bordering on dull, in fact. He spent the first part of every class stuttering out his name and shaking his head to the offer to share more about himself, studying his Vans intently, as if they held the secrets to all his hidden desires. His lunch hour was spent at the end of a long table, where no one else bothered to join him, three empty seats taunting him between himself and a friendly looking Latino kid who spent the entire time in a hushed conversation with a seemingly nerdy raven-haired boy catty-corner to Kendall. Both boys continuously threw conspicuous glances at Kendall, making him grow uneasy to the point that he finally couldn't take it anymore and shoved his seat back with a loud scrape of metal against tile, abruptly standing up and tossing his untouched lunch in the nearest garbage bin, hurrying to his next class.

By the time the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Kendall was inexplicably exhausted. He hadn't accomplished much throughout the course of the day, but somehow, pretending not to care, pretending he didn't feel so obviously out of place and alone had taken its toll on his body, leaving him tired down to his bones. Unfortunately for the blond, he had almost two hours to kill before he could pick his younger cousin up from whatever after school activities she had going on.

He lounged in his car, fiddling with the radio station, searching in vain for something that didn't completely suck, and jumped at the sound of an unexpected tap on his window.

He peered out warily and recognized the raven-haired boy from his lunch table, the one who'd ignored him and had most likely been talking about him. Sighing, Kendall pressed the appropriate button to lower his window, tilting his head and raising a thick eyebrow, asking "Yeah?" Once the barrier between them was broken.

"You're Kendall Knight, right? Jennifer Knight's nephew? Sorry to hear about your mom by the way," The boy rushed out around what appeared to be a genuine smile, his eyes crinkling at the sides in the process.

"Yeah. Um, thanks? Do I know you?" Kendall asked.

The boy shook his head quickly, causing his dark locks to swing back and forth. "Doubt it. But uh, our… parents were friends back in the day, before…well, things," He let the sentence trail off inelegantly, as if he'd been about to say something more but had stopped himself, immediately trying to cover up the weirdness with a bright, forced smile. "My, uh, mom. She heard about your mother's accident. Told me to keep an eye out for you at school," He explained in a rush, still smiling, even though it looked more forced by the second.

Kendall nodded and opened his mouth to respond, only to be cut off.

"Logan! Quit flirting, we got shit to take care of!" Kendall watched Motorcycle Dude approach his car, sauntering up behind who Kendall guessed was 'Logan' and clapping a hand not entirely friendly on the shorter one's shoulders, fingers roughly squeezing.

Logan gave Kendall an apologetic look, shrugging the shoulder that wasn't under the other boy's hand. "Duty calls," He muttered out an explanation, allowing himself to be pulled away.

"Let's go, Welcoming Committee," Motorcycle Dude rolled his eyes behind his still attached sunglasses, using his hand that was resting on the other's shoulder to steer him away from the car. "I'm sure new kid can find his own way home, right?" He asked condescendingly, shooting a glare at Kendall and yanking Logan towards the other guy from the lunch table. "Carlos! Let's go!" The brunet hollered, already turned away from Kendall, ignoring him once again.

"Yeah. Sure I can." Kendall replied to empty air.

* * *

You don't always have to be such a dick, ya know," Logan commented, glaring at James and jerking his shoulder out of the taller male's grip.

"It's part of my charm," James retorted with a sneer. "Now please, enlighten me as to why you were chatting up Blondie against my very specific instructions, Logie. Cause I'd love to hear your pitiful excuses. God," He laughed sardonically. "It's almost like you forget that I'm the leader here. I can end you at any moment, and believe me when I tell you that if I think you're getting in the way of my plans and destiny I won't hesitate to do exactly that. You're nothing to me. You'd do best to remember that from now on."

Carlos fell into step with them just in time to catch James threat and he shot Logan a look, tilting his head and raising his eyebrows, hoping Logan knew that James was serious and now wasn't the time to push him and try to call his bluff.

"I told you morons to fuckin' ignore him until I figure out what we're doing this time," James continued, still glaring at Logan.

Logan rolled his eyes but gave a slight nod, pissing James off even more, the brunet stopping in his tracks suddenly and reaching out, grabbing Logan's shoulder yet again and forcing the raven haired boy to come to a standstill before him.

"I'm going to tell you this one time and one time only, Genius. Fall in line and do exactly what I tell you or I promise you will fuckin' regret it. The consequences for disobedience this cycle will surpass every other one by far, I promise you that. Don't test me. Because if we don't do things my way then you two idiots will fuck things up _again_ and then we all lose. _Again_. Got it?" James seethed, shoulders rising and falling with every breath, mouth set in a thin, hard line. "Got it?" He repeated through clenched teeth when he didn't receive an immediate response. His carefully controlled temper was simmering at the top, threatening to boil over and his features had rearranged back into his semi-permanent scowl as he locked eyes with Logan and then Carlos, daring them to defy him.

"Got it," Carlos relied in a timid voice, taking a step back, having known James long enough to be aware that now was not the time to push him and fight. Now was a time to shut up and follow orders.

Logan glanced at Carlos, taking his cue from him, eventually giving a weary nod and mumbling an echo of "Got it."

"Good," James gritted out. "Because if any of you fuck things up this time around, I'll not only throw you out but I will single-handedly destroy you so fuckin' fast you're godamnded heads will spin. That's not a threat. It's a fuckin' promise. Call the others. Tell everyone to be at my house at six. Deliver my message. And don't fucking be late." And with that the tall brunet spun on a heel and stalked off without so much as a backwards glance.

Logan patiently waited until James was out of earshot before turning to Carlos and saying, "I'm getting so sick of his attitude and the way he treats us like his little minions."

Carlos stared after James, finally turning back to Logan and offering up a shrug with his reply. "Yeah, well, we don't really have a choice here do we? He is the leader. That does pretty much make us his minions. And put yourself in his shoes for even a century. I think the shit he deals with every cycle takes its toll, ya know? He may not admit it or show it, but I think he's hurting. I think he's lonely. And honestly? I have no interest in getting on his bad side. That's not a pretty place to be. Remember the last time we were there? I'm in no hurry to repeat it and I doubt you are either. And, hey. Maybe this time we can break the cycle," Carlos shrugged. "Then maybe we'd get that happy, carefree James for eternity."

Logan snorted. "I don't think there is such a thing as 'Happy James'. Just a slightly more tolerable one. And then _he_ leaves again. And we spend the next two years with the even bigger dick head and asshole James, only to die and start this whole bullshit cycle over with yet again. It's a lose lose situation here, Carlitos. We were on the wrong side from the beginning and the punishment for that will never end. If there's one thing I've come to believe in these past few hundred years, it's that we will never break this cycle. This curse will never be broken. We're doomed to repeat history. Forever. So we should just suck it up and bide our time until this cycle is over and the next one begins. Because there's nothing else for us out there."

Carlos nodded, looking off into the distance his eyes searching out the form of the blonde who still sat in his car, eyes trained on James. "I have to believe we can end this. I have to believe there's a happily ever after for all of us in the end. It's the only thing that keeps me going. Maybe all you need is a little bit of faith."

"And maybe all you need is a little bit of a reality check."

* * *

Kendall watched as Motorcycle Dude yanked Logan away, hastily walking them in the opposite direction, not looking pleased in the slightest, the pair being joined by the Latino from his lunch table a few seconds later. Apparently something pissed the brunet off, because as quickly as he'd led him away from Kendall's car he came to a stop, still controlling Logan's movements as well as his own and stopping the raven haired boy with a hand still gripped tightly on his shoulder.

Kendall couldn't hear the exact words being spoken by the brunet, but it definitely wasn't pleasant. Judging by the rigid body posture, clenched jaw and rapid hand movements, Kendall was guessing Logan had done something to royally piss off the brunet, and he definitely wasn't envious of the other boy right then, because he was seemingly being chewed out by Motorcycle Dude.

Kendall watched as Motorcycle Dude ended his heated speech with a stern look at both Logan and the Latino and then sauntered off, heading to the Harley Davidson Kendall had seen parked in the back of the student lot on his way in that morning.

"Called it," Kendall gloated lowly to himself with a smile, shaking his head lightly. He wasn't entirely sure why he was spending so much of his time watching some boy he didn't even know and honestly had no interest in knowing. From what Kendall could tell, Motorcycle Dude seemed to be a huge asshole, completely full of himself. And Kendall had known guys like that before. It didn't really make a difference how good looking the brunet was, Kendall had had his share of bad boys and wanted nothing to do with this one. He knew their game, knew their way of thinking. They thought they were God's gift to the world, walking around like they owned the place, bullying others, doing what they wanted without a second thought of other people's feelings or the consequences that accompanied their actions. That was one territory Kendall was most certainly not entering ever again. If Motorcycle Dude was anything like the other bad boys Kendal had known, and he didn't doubt for a second he was, then Kendall knew without a second's hesitation that he wanted nothing to do with the brunet. The boy was trouble and it would be in Kendall's best interest to stay far, far away. So that was exactly what he intended to do.

What Kendall wasn't positive about was why when he'd briefly locked eyes with the other boy he'd felt like he'd been punched in the gut. His breathing had grown haggard and short, his heart pounded wildly in his chest, reverberating in his eardrums, and Kendall had gotten an curious feeling of anxiousness and had been overcome with an overwhelming sense of dread and déjà vu, pins and needles sharply pricking the back of his neck and causing his nerves to become even more shot than they'd already been., stretching tight and thin, Kendall feeling like at any moment he would snap and lose it all but unsure as to why or how.

Images flicked through his head like a slide show, unexplainable stills of him and the brunet in various time periods throughout history, always together, always touching, always smiling and looking happy. Which was the weirdest part. Because while Kendall couldn't speak for Motorcycle Dude, he could guess that a genuine smile was as rare for the brunet as it was for him. Kendall never gave anything more than a forced, fake smile these days and he was pretty sure the only type of smile Motorcycle Dude knew how to give was a condescending one.

But still Kendall couldn't shake the feeling that he'd met the other boy before. And not only that they'd known each other, but that they'd been important to each other. More than important. Direly important. That they'd been each other's reason for carrying on, been the other boy's purpose in life, each other's reason for existing. That there had been a bond and a love between them that no one and nothing could break.

Kendall gave his head a vigorous shake, attempting to rid it of the ridiculous thoughts. He laughed nervously at himself, unsure of where all that had come from and shoved his key in his ignition starting up his car, deciding that maybe the middle school parking lot would be a better place to wait after all.

* * *

James paced the wooden floor in the living room of his elegant Victorian home, muttering under his breath to himself, trying to make sense of why the blond had shown up so damned early in the cycle this time around. He'd never shown up before he was seventeen. The earliest they'd ever met had been back in the early nineteen hundreds, when the blond had been a stable boy by the name of Francis, searching for work on James' farm. He'd shown up on his seventeenth birthday and during that cycle James had gotten an entire year with him before he'd been so cruelly taken away from him yet again. And God how James had cherished every second of that entire year, relishing in every little detail of their time together, wishing that for once it wouldn't end but knowing that it would nonetheless. Because typically, James and the blond only got weeks together before he was ripped from James' arms. So getting an entire year had been like heaven. Until the moment it had all been taken from James, just like always, of course.

It had hurt even more that time. So James couldn't' even fathom what it would feel like at the end of this cycle. It seemed they would have almost two full years together this time before the blonde would flame out of the brunet's life. He couldn't even imagine how hard it would be to lose him this time and he didn't want to. Nothing hurt as much as losing him. No knife had quite as sharp a blade.

Things were different this time around, things were changing, and not in a good way, James knew this in his soul. He could feel it with every ounce of his being. The situation felt more final this time around. And he was pretty sure it wasn't a good thing. James was worried that if they didn't find a way to break the curse this cycle then they wouldn't be given another chance.

A large clap of thunder boomed outside of his house, pulling James from his thoughts as the skies opened up and began to let loose a torrential downpour, the rain pounding mercilessly on the roof of his house. He glanced out the huge bay window at the front of his house just in time to see a lightning bolt strike down upon the massive oak tree that took up the majority of his front yard. It split the trunk in half, and James watched detachedly as the wood began to smoke, tendrils of blue-grey curling up and into the sky before the entire tree burst into flames out of nowhere. The flames vanished almost as quickly as they'd appeared, devouring the tree and leaving behind nothing but a smoldering pile of ash, bark and leaves in their unnatural wake.

The smell of burnt wood and leaves lingered thick in the air around James and the lights in his house flickered once, twice, three times before they blinked out completely, leaving him standing stock still in his living room, pins and needles pricking the back of his neck and foretelling all the bad things to come in the next two years that he already feared.

James knew this wasn't a good sign, he knew without a doubt now that things were definitely different this time around. "There are bad omens afoot, my Blondie. I think this is our last chance," He said softly into the empty room, his eyes still trained on the now abandoned spot where mere moments before an enormous and magnificent Oak tree had boasted. "And I still don't know what to do to break this damned curse so we can be together."


	2. Soul Mates

_A/N: Thank you all for the alerts, favorites and reviews! Typically I do try to respond to each review individually through PMs, but I haven't had time to do that yet for this story, and so I apologize, but just know I really, really appreciate those of you who take the time to do so. It's always wonderful to hear your thoughts on the story and chapters and what you think is going to happen and even con-crit! Those of you wondering what they are should be able to pick it up from this chapter, even though they never come right out and say it. Also, for those of you unfamiliar with me or my writing, I do apologize in advance, but my updates tend to be sporadic and sometimes few and far between, I have a busy life, plus two other Kames stories I'm working on. However, I'm pretty excited for this story, the idea has been floating around in my mind for over a year now and I finally just decided to try and get it out and see where it goes. Please read and review if you so desire, and for updates to this and my other stories, you can always find me on Tumblr or Twitter, username is the same._

* * *

"So you want us to, what exactly? Treat him like a pariah?" Logan scoffed at James command.

James in turn focused a hardened look at the other boy, causing him to shrink back a bit. "That's exactly what I want you to do. All of you. No one tells him who he is, no one tells him who we are, no one even so much as asks him to be on their volleyball team in gym. Ignore him completely until I figure out how to go about breaking this damned curse once and for fuckin' all. This time is different. I can feel it in my bones and I know all of you can too." James flicked a look around the room, making eye contact with all of its occupants. Logan, Carlos, Jo, Camille, Lucy, Stephanie, Jett, Dak, he leveled a gaze on all of them one by one, conveying how deadly serious he was about his demands to not talk to the blond. Everyone nodded back solemnly in return because they knew James was right. They could sense the changes as well, feel the finality of this cycle just as James could.

"Good. Then it's settled. Now get the hell out of my house," James jerked his head towards his front door as he strode out of the living room, trusting that they would do as he commanded like always.

"Guess we can show ourselves out," Lucy muttered as James disappeared up his stairs without another word.

"Is it just me or has he found a way to become an even bigger douchebag in the past twenty years?" Dak asked, holding open the door for everyone to walk out of James' house ahead of him.

"What happened to the tree?" Jo ignored his question, asking one of her own and pointing at the empty spot in James' front yard.

The rest of the group followed her finger, tilting their heads in confusion.

"Looks like James burnt it to the ground," Jett shrugged, unworried.

"He wouldn't do that. Not to that tree," Countered Logan with a quick shake of his head.

* * *

James rested on his back, one arm under his head as he stared up at the bright sky, admiring the way the sun's beams streamed through the branches, illuminating the soft yellows that the leaves had changed to when fall had arrived.

The blond haired boy lying on James' chest shifted, propping himself up on his elbows and smiling down at the brunet.

"It's impossible for me to believe that we're doing anything wrong amidst a moment as perfect as this," He confessed softly.

James offered up a lazy grin in response, leaning up and pecking the boy's lips with his own. "That's because we're not. Just because the rest of the village doesn't agree that doesn't automatically mean we're in the wrong. We're right. And I know we belong together. There's just you and there's just me, Blondie. And that's all we'll ever need.

"Promise?"

"A thousand times over."

"There's also our tree," The blond haired boy smiled, laying back down next to James and linking their fingers together.

"There's also our tree," James echoed with a smile of his own, squeezing the hand that rested in his own.

* * *

"How was your first day?" Kendall's Aunt asked as he trudged in the door behind his younger cousin.

Kendall shrugged noncommittally, heading towards the kitchen, beginning to regret his earlier decision to throw out his lunch.

His Aunt followed him, refusing to be thwarted that easily. "Did you make any friends?"

"Not exactly," He muttered, an image of Motorcycle Dude appearing his mind that he immediately mentally swatted away.

"Well how did you like your classes and your teachers?" She pressed on.

"It's high school. Aunt Jen. It sucks no matter what freaking state you're in." What was it with adults always wanting to know how school was and what happened the second a kid walked in the door? It was school. Of course it sucked. The last thing a kid wanted to do after spending seven hours listening to teachers drone on and getting bullied by other students was go home and fucking discuss it. His mom used to do the same thing. Eleven years of replying with 'It was fine,' which was obviously a lie, had never once stopped her from asking.

Of course, now she'd never ask again and Kendall wished he'd been more communicative with her. He regretted all the times he'd ignored her or talked back instead of just giving her what she'd wanted and sharing a little bit about his life. He'd never have the chance to remedy that now. She'd been his mom and she'd loved him and all she'd ever asked for was to hear how his day was, but no, Kendall had to be the stereotypical bratty teenager and treat her like she didn't matter half the time.

"Kendall?" His Aunt asked softly pulling him from his thoughts.

He blinked and realized he'd been standing with the fridge door wide open staring in listlessly for quite a few minutes now. Kendall shut the door and turned around to his Aunt. "I miss my mom," He acknowledged quietly.

"Oh, sweetie," She replied, sadness tinged in her voice as she wrapped her arms around her nephew, enveloping him in a tight embrace. "I know you do. I do too. And it's okay to miss her and to be sad. Your mom was a wonderful person. Creative, intelligent, charismatic. I see so much of her in you."

"Really?" Kendall asked surprised. In his eyes, his mom had been pretty amazing so he couldn't really think of anything better than to be like her. He didn't see it himself, though. And he didn't quite believe his Aunt Jen because he didn't think he'd ever measure up to the goodness and talent his mother had possessed.

"Really. On the inside and out," She assured him, squeezing him once more before letting him go and taking a step back. "I know we don't really know each other yet, but we are family, Kendall, so I want you to know you can come talk to me anytime you need to, okay? Even if you just want to trade memories about Liz."

Kendall nodded and choked out a mumble of, "Thanks," Willing himself not to cry.

His Aunt, always the perceptive one, picked up on this adding, "It's okay to cry too." She could sense that Kendall was too embarrassed and uncomfortable to cry in front of her so she gave him an easy out. "Why don't you go watch some TV and relax and then work on some homework? I'll let you know when dinner is ready," She suggested kindly, rooting through the cupboards and producing a bag of chips and then retrieving a can of Coke from the fridge, holding them both out to Kendall.

"Okay," Kendall agreed, gratefully taking the provisions from her with a tight smile. "Thanks, Aunt Jen," He added, loping out of the kitchen and taking the stairs two at a time, waiting until he had his door firmly shut to le the tears that had been threatening to spill before finally fall.

Kendall put the snacks on his desk, appetite diminished once again and curled up on his bed, hugging his pillow close to his chest and allowing the waterworks to flow freely now that he was locked away in solitude.

It just didn't seem fair. She'd only been thirty-one. She was supposed to live a long life and be there for Kendall. His mom had always been so happy, rarely without a smile decorating her face and one of the kindest people he'd ever known. It just wasn't right that someone so good and full of life had been taken from the world so early and in such a cruel manner.

Kendall just couldn't wrap his mind around any of it. It'd been barely two weeks ago when he'd been in the kitchen making breakfast for him and his mom who was working an overnight shift at the hospital where she was a nurse.

Kendall had gotten up early for school, wanting to surprise her since he knew how hard the overnight shifts were on her and how worn out she always was when she trudged in the door after a long night just as he was leaving for school.

He was flipping the pancakes when the doorbell rang, startling him.

_Who the hell is here this early?_ He thought to himself, turning the griddle down so breakfast wouldn't burn.

He got his answer a few seconds later when he opened the front door to reveal two police officers on his doorstep. His heart dropped instantly as he saw the grim looks on their faces. He had a sinking feeling they weren't here to question him about the cut of weed in his backpack upstairs.

"Kendall Knight?" The female police officer asked, confirming his suspicions by the overly kind tone of her voice. That tone people only used when they felt sorry for you because they were about to deliver you very, very bad news that would turn your whole world upside down and leave you heartsick.

Kendall nodded mutely, fighting the urge to cover his ears or slam the door in their faces like a two year old having a tantrum. Maybe if he didn't hear what they had to say it wouldn't be real and the world would fix its mistake.

"Your mother is Elizabeth Knight?"

Again Kendall nodded, refusing to respond verbally.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but your mother was stabbed at a bus stop around three AM," She informed him, the pity evident in her voice.

Kendall shook his head. "That's not right, her shift didn't even end until six. Maybe you have the wrong person?" He asked feebly, as if he could reason his way out of this.

"I'm so sorry honey, but we don't. One of the doctors at the hospital said she was sent home early because she was sick."

"Well she's okay right? I mean, she's going to be?" Kendall asked hopefully, even though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

It was the officer's turn to shake her head softly now, turning to her partner for support.

"I'm sorry son," The policeman said gently, speaking for the first time. "She was pronounced dead on arrival. One of her co-workers identified her body."

Tears began to cloud Kendall's vision and he began to vehemently shake his head back and forth, his entire body starting to shake violently and his knees threatening to buckle and give out on him. "No," He protested weakly, grabbing the door-frame for support. "That's not right. She can't be dead, she was fine last night. This is just some type of sick joke, right?" His voice raised in pitch as he got himself more and more worked up the longer he protested.

"I'm so sorry," The female police officer repeated, placing a hand gingerly on Kendall's shoulder which he quickly brushed off, just wanting his mom to pop out from behind the bushes hollering 'Gotcha!'

But of course she didn't. Because this wasn't a prank. It was a godamn tragedy. Wordlessly, Kendall turned from the police officers lingering on his front porch and the pancakes burning in the kitchen, taking off out the back door, hurrying down the steps of the back porch before breaking into a full on sprint, not caring or noticing that he was still in his pajama pants.

The sand kicked up from his heels behind him as he ran across the beach, not stopping until he was submerged in water up to his waist, and then he began to swim for all he was worth, choking and gasping on the sea water, trying his best to run and hide from this, as if that would somehow make the situation reverse itself, make it not real. This was just a nightmare. A terrible, horrible nightmare, and any minute his mom would walk through the front door, home from work and poke her head in his room, cheerily sing-songing "Rise and shine sleepy head!" Just like she did every morning and the he would wake up from this hellish nightmare.

* * *

James could feel the familiar onslaught of an emotion that didn't belong to him breaking into his mind and overtaking his own thoughts and emotions. A heart wrenching sadness, filled with despair and longing seeped into his heart as if it was own, even though he knew the emotions actually belonged to a certain blonde haired boy who was currently experiencing them. This side effect was probably James' biggest gripe about having a soul mate, and yet at the same time he wouldn't have traded it or given it up for the world.

When Kendall got angry, James would feel himself being taken over by a sudden, irrational anger. If Kendall was sad, James was overcome with misery. If Kendall was confused, James had been known to stop in his tracks, suddenly unsure of what he was doing, where he was going and sometimes even who he was.

In the end, it didn't matter what James said he felt internally as he lived Kendall's emotions as if they were his own. Because in reality, James loved knowing exactly what his Blondie was feeling at any given time of any given day. He felt that it kept them connected even in the midst of the numerous and overwhelming years they sent apart in which James couldn't talk to or be with his love. And that was important to James, because he spent so much of his life alone, without the blond, in love and lonely because his soul mate didn't even know he existed yet.

"I wish I could be there to help you through this heart ache right now, Blondie," James said aloud to his vacant house.

He hated, absolutely despised knowing that his boy was suffering and there wasn't a godamn thing he could do about it. He couldn't rectify the situation, he couldn't hold the blond, couldn't comfort him. Couldn't even let him know he was there for him and that he cared about him. He just had to stand idly by while Kendall suffered.

"You don't know it, and you don't understand it yet, but I know you can sense in your heart that you're not alone. I'm here. I promise. I've always been here and I always will be here. I love you my beautiful yellow haired boy," James urged Kendall to feel him, to sense him, to know he wasn't alone, even though he knew it would only confuse the blond more.

Because he would do just that. He would sense James, feel a part of his heart missing, but never be able to pinpoint it. Never connect the dots. Not unless James came clean and admitted everything to him for the umpteenth time. But that was something James couldn't risk yet, not until he figured out how to end this once and for all. Not until he figured out what was different this time. Not until he had a plan. He couldn't risk putting Kendall in any more danger than he was already in until he knew what exactly it was they were up against this time.

Being with Kendall for eternity, living their lives together without the constant interruption of death and rebirth was the only thing James had ever wished for. Every birthday candle blown out, every falling star spotted in the night sky, every coin tossed in a fountain…they all ended with the same way. With James wishing, practically begging the universe to lift the damned curse already and let him and Blondie have their happily ever after that James was convinced deep within his soul they deserved. They'd surely earned it by now. Yes they'd made their mistakes all those centuries ago. But they'd learned from them. Surely they'd paid their dues by now, served their time. How much longer did they have to be punished for the mistakes of their youth? How much longer would they have to suffer?

But for the time being, James' wants and needs and wishes went ignored and unanswered by the universe. Same as always.

"You've never even realized it but I need you and your love way more than you'll ever need me and mine, Blondie," James continued to speak aloud to the boy that wasn't there. Every day he was forced to live alone, biding his time until he got those few treasured months with his love James could feel the darkness inside him, trying to take over again. Trying to make him repeat his mistakes, to fuck up again, to risk an even more severe punishment if that was possible. The blond was the only thing that kept James grounded, his love the only thing that allowed James to fight the evil that dwelled, hibernating in his soul, begging to be released again.

That was the way it'd always been, from the very first moment they'd met. They balanced each other out, they completed each other. Where James was filled with the darkness, Blondie was filled with light, where James was full of hatred and anger, his blond was peaceful and loving. He was the yin to his yang. He hadn't been able to keep the evil at bay until he'd me his boy, but once he'd laid eyes on him he not only found a way to lock it deep inside and hide it away, he'd wanted to. Before then he'd relished in the blackness of his soul, the darkness handed down to him by his ancestors. He'd enjoyed the suffering of others, enjoyed his malevolent ways and had no interest in changing.

And then, one fateful night while he'd been resting under an enormous oak tree, back resting against the trunk as he played around with a ritual he'd performed countless times, Blondie had appeared. Bathed in the white glow of the moonlight, looking like an angel and cutting straight through the shadows surrounding James' heart, piercing into them with his goodness. Soul mates were fairly rare, even back then, but everyone in the villages knew the stories. How you would look into someone's eyes and just know, the silver thread that only you and your soul mate would be able to see that connected two hearts to make them one. The burning sensation as a silver-white mark in the shape of two small circle appeared on your chest over your heart, the place where the invisible thread wound into and out of your body and that of your soul mates. An unbreakable and eternal thread, keeping you connected to each other for life, letting you know that this was the person you were meant to be with. No one else would make you happy, and if you were ever parted you would always feel incomplete.

James had never really believed in all that, chalked it up to folklore, fantasies, he'd never met anyone who knew of two actual soul mates. They made for beautiful bedtime stories, but James had always thought the idea of true soul mates was just that, stories.

Until he experienced everything he'd heard about and so much more firsthand the moment he looked up into the beautiful green eyes of a yellow haired boy.

They'd been damned from the start, though, star-crossed lovers. James coming from darkness, Blondie coming from the light, they were on opposite sides of a long history of two groups that despised each other and wanted nothing but to see the other one destroyed. Their love was forbidden and yet fated to happen at the same time.

James jumped, then shot a nasty glare towards his phone that sat on the coffee table when it gave a shrill ring, piercing into his memories and cutting off his thoughts. He ignored it at first, but finally gave in and grabbed it with an annoyed sigh when it started ringing a second time.

"What?" He growled into the phone, not at all concerned with his manners as he absent-mindedly traced the silver-white mark over his heart.

"James? It's Camille. I think I found something out that you should really be aware of."

* * *

In the midst of his self-pity and depression, Kendall was hit with an inexplicable feeling of sympathy and comfort that he couldn't make rhyme or reason of.

He was unsure as to who or what he was feeling sympathetic towards and the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he should understand everything when in actuality he understood nothing.

"Godammit!" He yelled a muffled curse into his pillow followed up with an authoritative punch to it.

A soft knock sounded at his door and he stiffened, hoping he hadn't been overheard.

"Yeah?" He mumbled, face still smooched into his pillow, not bothering to lift his head up.

"It's Katie. Can I Come in?"

"I guess," He grumbled in response, even though he really wanted to tell her to go the fuck away and leave him the fuck alone.

"Hey Cuz," Katie greeted, sidling into his bedroom and sitting tentatively on the edge of his bed.

Kendall pulled his head up from his hiding spot in the pillows and covers momentarily and mumbled back a "hey," before burying himself back in his security blanket and pillow fort.

"Do you need anything?" Katie asked hesitantly, afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing, not wanting to piss off her older cousin or cause more sadness in him.

Kendall didn't respond, and Katie took a deep breath, steeling herself for the possible chewing out she might be about to receive, but plowing ahead anyway. "I never got to meet Aunt Liz. Could you tell me about her?" She requested.

Kendall's head rose from his fortress for a second time, giving Katie a suspicious look at first but then relaxing into a sad smile. "My mom was incredible. An amazing musician," He began, his face brightening as he thought about his mother and started telling his younger cousin all about the woman she'd been that Katie would never get the pleasure of knowing now.

* * *

"All right, humor me. But this had better be worth my fucking time," James warned, still annoyed at being bothered.

"Oh it is. In fact it could just help you figure out a way to break the curse for good. If it leads to what I think it does."

James' ears pricked and he sat up, intrigued, gripping the phone tightly in his hand. "You have my attention. Continue."

"He showed up really early this cycle, right? Earlier than ever before. By quite a bit, right?"

"If you're just going to ask me rhetorical questions and rehash everything we just talked about the whole time, I'm hanging up," James informed Camille impatiently.

"Knock it off, James. I'm going somewhere with this, I promise," Camille rolled her eyes.

"Then get to it already," He demanded through clenched teeth, his knuckles turning white from the tight grip he still had on his cell phone.

"He wasn't supposed to show up any earlier than normal. Someone forced the hand of fate to cause it. Someone wanted him to show up early this time," Camille told James ominously.

"Who? And how? And why?"

"Someone close to us that we thought we could trust took it upon themselves to stab his mother to death instead of waiting and allowing her to die the more natural death she was supposed to next year."

"Quit playing games and beating around the bush Camille and tell me who the fuck it was and how the fuck this relates to ending the damned curse already!" James lost his cool, raising his voice and snapping at the curly haired brunette.

"Two weeks ago when his mom was killed what two people from our own coven were mysteriously missing? Who never did really bother to explain their absence and whereabouts?" Camille asked smugly.

James grew eerily silent on the other side of the phone before Camille heard him erupt in a "Motherfucker!" Followed by a crash and a lost call as James threw his phone across the room with all his might and then turned and punched a hole in the plaster of his living room wall.

* * *

"I think Camille suspects something," Lucy said with a sigh, turning to Jett, who rested in the bed next to her.

"She can suspect all she wants, but she has no proof. And even if she did, there's no way she knows everything. You worry too much, Luce. We've been careful, we've planned and waited and taken our time. Built up James' trust. For the past hundred years we've played the good little followers that James expects us to be and pretended to help him break the curse. Everything is set in motion. This is the year we've been waiting for, Lucy. This is the only year it can be done, the only year the stars align in just the right way to allow the ritual to be performed. We've made our sacrifices, we've paid in our own blood and we have everything we need. You'd better not be getting cold feet and planning on backing out now, because I will do this with or without you," Jett told her menacingly, lighting up a cigarette and ignoring the glare that earned him.

Lucy rolled her eyes, climbing out of the bed and grabbing her discarded clothes from the floor, beginning to get dressed.

"I'm not getting cold feet, and I'm not backing out. I'm just saying we have to be very, very careful from now until the end. Camille won't hesitate to run to James, she's a good little follower, remember? And we've worked too hard to make a mistake now and get caught. We need James to continue to think we're on his side. In case you've forgotten, he's the only one with the power to end our lives for good. There would be no coming back if he decided to kill us and you know damned well if he so much as has an inkling any of us aren't on his side or that we're getting in between him and his precious Blondie he will not hesitate to end us. For good, Jett."

Jett gave his own roll of eyes at Lucy's speech, just as she'd done to him, and reached out, snaking his hands around her waist and pulling her back to him. "He's not going to find out. By the time he realizes what's going on it will be too late to stop us. Just a few more weeks, baby. And then it's just you and me for eternity. Everyone else will be gone for good, the only person who can kill us will be dead himself, and you and I can conquer this world. So quit you're worrying, quit putting your clothes on and get that sexy ass back in bed with me," He smirked, sitting up and tugging her shirt back off.

Lucy allowed Jett to pull her back into bed, and he began to trail kisses on her neck.

"I'll just feel better when it's all done and over with. James scares me," She admitted.

"Well he doesn't scare me. He's all talk. And once he realizes we've killed his precious Blondie for good the poor sap will be so busy whining and crying about it that he won't even realize it doesn't end there," Jett promised. "Now shut about James. Worry a little bit less about him and a little bit more about me and my problem," Jett leered, moving Lucy's hand down so she could feel what 'problem' he was referring to.


	3. Loyalty

Kendall stared at the sprawling Victorian mansion that he was standing in front of with absolutely no clue how he'd gotten there. The last thing he remembered was climbing in to bed several hours earlier in his room at his aunt's house. Now it was almost three in the morning and he didn't even now where he was, even though he couldn't rid himself of the feeling that he'd been here before, that he should recognize it.

There were the remnants of a tree that seemingly had been burned down piled in the front yard and he couldn't explain why the longer he stared at the charred stump, the sadder he felt.

The rumbling sound of a motorcycle driving up and idling behind him caused Kendall to turn and watch as Motorcycle Dude from his school climbed off the bike, knocking the kickstand into place with the heel of his boot.

"You should really wear a helmet," Kendall observed out loud.

The guy spun around, quickly covering up the surprise on his face with a scowl.

"And you should really be home in bed, not spying on me," He growled in response, stalking towards Kendall.

"I'm not spying on you. I…I sleepwalked here. I think," Kendall mused, scrunching up his face in confusion.

"Maybe you should handcuff yourself to the bed," James replied suggestively, raising his eyebrow and smirking at the blond.

Kendall's cheeks heated and he stammered out a response.

"Relax, Blondie. You never could take a joke."

Kendall cocked his head, questioning James. "You say that like you know me."

Something unreadable flashed in the brunet's hazel eyes but disappeared before Kendall could make sense of it. "I just know your type is all."

"And what type is that?" Kendall huffed, planting his hands on his hips and glowering at James, unamused by the other boy trying to typecast him when he didn't even know him.

"The type that's out past curfew. Go home, Blondie," James sighed wearily.

"Stop calling me Blondie, that's not my name. My name is Kendall."

"Great story, and my name is James. Now if these heartfelt introductions are over, I'd like to go in and crash, please," He responded, sarcasm dripping from his voice. He didn't wait for a reply, just gave Kendall one last smirk before shouldering past him and heading across the lawn and up the steps, disappearing behind the door to the mansion Kendall had wandered to in his sleep.

* * *

It ended up taking Kendall a good two hours to finally find his way home in the dark on streets he was unfamiliar with. "Thanks for the help, James," He muttered under his breath when he arrived at his aunt's lakeside cabin. He trudged inside, apprehensive at first, but sighing with relief when he saw all was quiet, the house's inhabitants still sleeping away, unaware he'd gone for a unintentional midnight stroll.

He snuck back upstairs and into his bedroom, falling into his bed and into a fitful sleep, his dreams troubled by images of him and James together under a tree that no longer existed. His alarm clock blared incessantly only a short time later and he groggily slapped in its general direction until he managed to shut the damn thing off.

Kendall stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom across the hall that he shared with his younger cousin. Splashing water on his face he dried off then peered in the mirror, expecting the dark circles he found under his eyes. He finished getting ready on autopilot and before he knew it he was once again staring up the daunting steps to his new high school.

His eyes automatically strayed towards the wall where he'd first seen James the previous day, and he was uneasy with the way his heart sunk when he found the same spot tauntingly empty now.

"Looking for someone?" A voice asked in his ear.

Kendall turned to see James grinning at him like the Cheshire Cat, one eyebrow quirked as he walked past, heading up the steps, stopping and saying over his shoulder, "It's pretty flattering having my own personal stalker, Blondie." His grin grew into a smirk as he winked, then continued up the steps without another word.

"My name's not Blondie!" Kendall hollered at the infuriating boy's retreating figure, huffing in annoyance. He'd never wanted to punch someone in the face quite as badly before. "Asshole," He added under his breath in a mutter.

"That's a pretty popular opinion," an unfamiliar voice said behind Kendall.

"What the hell is it with people in this town sneaking up and talking to me?" Kendall asked turning and glaring at his unknown visitor.

"Well sorry for talking to you."

Kendall found himself looking at a female with black and red hair and way too much eye makeup. He frowned. "Sorry, it's just that James guy is such such a, he's just so…"

"Insufferable?" The girl supplied.

"Yes. Exactly," Kendall relaxed, smiling. "I'm Kendall," He introduced himself, extending a hand.

"I know. Small town. We don't get too many new people, so when there is one it's pretty big news. I'm Lucy," she took his outstretched hand in hers, giving it a firm shake.

"Lucy, James is going to slaughter you," another boy joined the pair, causally slinging an arm around Lucy's shoulders but giving her a pointed look.

Lucy rolled her eyes and shrugged the boys arm away. "Oh, grow a pair, Dak. James doesn't control us."

"He kinda does. And there's a difference between having balls and being suicidal. Tell your new friend goodbye and let's go before James get wind of this," Dak responded, steering Lucy away with a hand on the small of her back. Lucy shrugged her shoulders and smiled apologetically at Kendall before allowing herself to be led away.

_What the fuck was that about?_ Kendall wondered, watching the two head up the stairs and then shaking his head in confusion.

* * *

James willed himself not to look over his shoulder at Kendall as he walked away from him and into the school. He was pretty sure if there was one thing he could alter about this curse, it would be the age he was stuck at. No one, no matter what sins they'd committed in the past, should be forced to go to high school for eternity. It had to go against the eighth amendment, because it was definitely cruel and unusual. He was over three hundred years old. He'd pretty much had his share of school by now, there wasn't a whole lot left to learn.

But in order not to draw unnecessary attention to himself, he had to act the age he looked, not the age he was, and blend in to society as best he could. Which meant going to high school. And also typically a few well placed memory spells when the dreaded parent teacher conference times arose.

James gave in and allowed himself one quick glance before the doors closed behind him and was taken aback to see Lucy chatting up Kendall.

He started to turn and head back to give the bitch a piece of his mind, but a hand landed on his shoulder, preventing him from moving.

"She's just trying to get under your skin and cause trouble, like always. Let it go for now," Carlos advised.

James was still tense, but he took Carlos' advice and walked down the hall with him. "If she fucks it up-"

Carlos cut him off. "She won't. Relax. Lucy's a bitch, she always has been. But she's also weak and scared, she won't cross you, she just wants to start shit. Stir the pot, so to speak," Carlos grinned, nudging James. "Get it?" He hurriedly continued on when all he got in response from James was a cold, unamused glare. "Don't let her get to you, if she knows she's getting to you it will only encourage her."

"Yeah. Ok," James agreed to appease Carlos. Carlos would see things more his way if he knew what James knew, but until James was convinced Lucy and Jett were the only two he needed to worry about he planned on keeping things quiet. For now it was best to just play dumb and act as if he didn't think there were any enemies within his coven.

Glancing back one last time he saw Kendall was alone again and Lucy was being herded off by Dak. At least that showed Dak probably wasn't anyone to worry about. Unless he was just trying to get her away from Kendall before she blew their cover. Okay all this paranoia definitely wasn't healthy.

James gave his head a vigorous shake to clear his thoughts, pasted a fake, tight-lipped smile on his face and waited for Dak and Lucy to join him and Carlos.

"Meet anyone interesting?" He asked, leveling them with a look and slinging an arm around Dak's shoulders.

"Not really. Same old, same old," Lucy replied smartly, smirking at their leader.

James dropped the fake grin, and shoved Dak and Carlos down the hallway, reaching out and grabbing the necklace Lucy wore around her neck and using it to yank her towards him, bending down and hissing a threat at her in a low voice. "I don't know what you and Jett are up to, but talk to him again and you won't be back next cycle. Got it?"

"Got it," Lucy muttered, pulling free and rubbing her neck, scurrying off down the hall.

* * *

"He knows Jett. He all but told me so before school started. We need to call this off. It's too dangerous now."

"You're being paranoid. All that James knows is that you disobeyed him and talked to Kendall. By the way, great job getting caught there," Jett whispered in response sarcastically. "We need to seem like we're still with the coven, still backing James. Which means doing what he commands and not talking to Kendall. So fall in line and play your part or you're right, we will get caught., but it will be your fault. Don't mess this up, Luce. We've worked too damn hard to get to this point and another chance won't arise for centuries. And I'm not doing James' bidding for another month, much less hundreds."

"Gee, I'm so glad to get out from under James' thumb just to be trapped under yours," Lucy rolled her eyes.

"It's not like that and you know it. But I'm sick of paying for their mistakes and then doing everything we can to help them get their happy ending. What about us? What about _our_ happy ending? They aren't the only two people in love who keep getting separated every cycle. The only difference is the sins belong to them, not us. If we play our cards right, this ends. Here. Now. And then it's you and me. No James. No Blondie. No coven holding us back. Just you and just me, forever. We never disobeyed the elders; we never went against the laws. We deserve a happy ending, not them. So let's make it happen, okay?" Jett soothed Lucy, rubbing a hand up and down her back and kissing her on the cheek.

"Okay," Lucy relented, relaxing into his touch and smiling.

* * *

"So did you find anything out?" Camille slid into the empty desk next to James.

James shrugged. "Nothing for certain. And I can't take action unless I'm positive. They snuck off together last night, and I caught Lucy engaging him this morning, but none of that means anything for sure. It's all circumstantial. And I can't risk tearing the coven apart because of suspicion."

"Because you care about the coven so much, right?" Camille asked with a roll of her eyes.

"Don't fuckin' start. The only thing I care about is him. That's the end game. Always has been."

"And maybe that's part of the problem James. You've never cared about anyone aside from him and yourself. The rest of us are just pawns in your game, pieces to use in your war against the elders. You'd sacrifice every single one of us if it got you two together in the end. That's how we got in this mess to begin with. The two of you never stopped to consider whose lives you were destroying in the process. All you cared about was each other and the power. That's what really scares you about Jett and Lucy. They remind you of you and Blondie. Willing to do whatever necessary to be in control and together. We were loyal to you, we followed you, and in return we got cursed right alongside you. How is that okay? How many more years do you expect us to fight for a leader that doesn't give a shit about us?"

"That's not fair, Camille."

"No, James, what isn't fair is that we gave up everything for you two. And yet you would sacrifice each and every one of us in a fucking heartbeat if you feared we were getting in the way of your master plan. Maybe Jett and Lucy have the right idea. Our loyalty to you has never gotten us anything but cursed. And lately, you've done nothing to deserve that loyalty. Honestly, the only thing you deserve from us as of late is an uprising. Think about that before you make your next move, James. Or I can guaran-fucking-tee you that Jett and Lucy won't be the only ones working against you this cycle. You need to realize that being the leader of this coven is more than just ordering us around. You want our loyalty? Then fucking prove that you deserve it. You want our respect? Than fucking earn it." Camille scrapped her chair back, standing up abruptly and stomping out of the classroom, ignoring the teacher calling after her.

* * *

Kendall spent that night the same way he had the past few; tossing and turning, waking up every so often covered in a cold sweat from a nightmare he couldn't quite remember. The only detail that wasn't fuzzy was James' face, lurking in his dreams once again, haunting his nightmares. He just couldn't shake the feeling that he knew the brunet. When they spoke it wasn't as if he was getting to know him, more as if he was remembering him. He was confused, frustrated and he felt like he should know more than he did which only added to the confusion and frustration.

He wasn't surprised when, for the second night in a row, he found himself coming to in front of the other boy's house. At least tonight he'd know the way home.

Stifling a sigh, Kendall turned to leave, only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder. A hand that burned where it touched yet sent shivers down his spine at the same time, overwhelming the blond with a prickly sense of déjà vu.

"Kendall," James spoke quietly behind him in a strained voice as the hand on his shoulder tightened.

Squeezing his eyes shut and grimacing, Kendall slowly turned around, counting to three in his head before opening his eyes, expecting the hard gaze that stared back.

"Even in my subconscious I'm drawn to you," Kendall said flatly. "Why?"

James dropped his gaze momentarily, glancing downwards and chewing on his bottom lip, finally huffing a sigh and bringing his eyes back up to Kendall's. "You've never been this persistent this early," he admitted.

Kendall gave him a blank look. "What are you talking about?"

James finally pulled his hand back, shoving it through his hair before hooking his thumb in a belt loop. "Nothing," he murmured shaking his head. "Forget I said anything."

"No!" Kendall surprised not only James, but himself with the anger and forcefulness he managed to convey with just one word. "I want to know what's going on! I feel like there's some big secret you're not letting me in on! I feel like I know you, like you know me. And you act like we have some history, but I can't remember you! Why is that? What don't I know?"

"You're not ready yet. When the time comes, I swear I'll tell you every detail, but for now I need you to just walk away and forget about me. Please," James pleaded.

"No," Kendall repeated, shaking his head and standing his ground. "I'm not leaving until you give me some godamn answers! Straightforward answers! Every single thing you've said to me sounds like some fucking riddle that try as I might, I can't fucking figure out!"

"All right, Blondie, I do have neighbors, take it down a notch, huh?" James chuckled, but even to his own ears it sounded forced. "Fuck. You're not gonna let me off the hook until you're satisfied, huh?" James sighed.

Kendall glared, still breathing heavy from his outburst and shook his head resolutely. "Nope," He replied, popping the last syllable.

James cursed, looking torn, and then kicked at the grass with the toe of his boot cursing under his breath again and turning around, motioning for Kendall to follow him. "It's gonna be a long godamn night, we might as well do this inside."

It took Kendall a minute to realize he'd actually gotten his way since he hadn't really been expecting the other boy to cave so easily, but after a moment's hesitation he hurried after the brunet, tripping up the steps behind him, and following him into his house.

James silently led him through the spacious living room, up the steps and down a long hallway, making a sudden left through an open doorway so that the pair ended up in what Kendall guessed was James' bedroom. James waved a hand towards the bed and Kendall hesitated before giving in and sitting gingerly on the edge, staring up at James expectantly.

James stared back at him silently for a moment, arguing with himself, shutting his eyes and then reaching up with his left hand and grasping the neck of his t-shirt, opening his eyes as he pulled it down revealing two identical scars over his heart. "You have the same marks, don't you." It wasn't really a question.

Kendall's hand unwittingly made its way up, rubbing over his matching scars that James had no possible way of knowing about. "So what if I do?" He whispered.

"It means something."

Kendall shook his head, standing up and making a move for the door, suddenly unsure he wanted to know where this was heading, but James blocked him. "You talk like you know me, you don't know me," Kendall insisted.

James gave a sad smile. "That's where you're wrong, Blondie. I know you. The problem is that you don't know yourself."

"You're not making sense." Kendall took a step back.

James advanced. "You don't need to be afraid of me. I'm not the enemy."

"I don't even know you." Another step back.

"Yes you do." Another step forward.

"Prove it."

James tilted his head, his jaw working overtime as he studied the blond, and gave a shrug. "You asked for this," He reminded him, reaching a hand out and placing his pointer and middle finger to the left side of Kendall's temple.

Kendall gasped and crumpled to the ground, suddenly overtaken by a slew of memories invading his mind, reminding him who he was and who James was as every single moment of their past played out for him like a movie, slamming into his brain and overpowering him.


End file.
